Three Gorges sets hydropower record

China's Three Gorges Power Plant generated 98.8 billion kilowatt-hours (kwh) of electricity in 2014, beating the world record for hydropower generation, according to the China Three Gorges Corporation.

Though it has a much smaller installed capacity, Brazil's Itaipu hydroelectric plant has long been the champion of world hydropower generation. It generated 98.6 billion kwh of electricity in 2013.

The Three Gorges Power Plant has an installed capacity of 22.5 million kw. 
 Source:Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
4/1/15
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Related:

• Three Gorges Dam authority makes admission free for domestic tourists 

• Yangtze River sees highest flood peak of the year, Three Gorges Dam reservoir reaching 48,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday

• World ‘biggest hydroelectric dam’ for Congo

• Dam shame - Global Times

  •  China's Three Gorges dam "breaks world hydropower record" ...

 

European Commission welcomes electricity subsea cables linking Norway to Germany and UK (EC - 13.10.14)

European Commission, Statement, Brussels, 13 October 2014:

"The EU Commission welcomed the announcement made today by the Norwegian government to licence the construction of two subsea cables linking Norway to Germany and UK. The two 1400 MW subsea cables will enable the three countries to exchange electricity and use the Norwegian hydropower potential.

Vice-President of the EU Commission, responsible for Energy, Günther H. Oettinger said: "This will help enormously to integrate renewable energy in North-West Europe. Germany and UK can sell renewable energy to Norway when weather conditions are such that they produce a lot and Norway can sell electricity from hydropower. This will benefit both sides and balance the system."

The licence granted today is a further step towards building the two subsea cables. The NORD.LINK interconnector will run between Norway and Germany and the North Sea Network (NSN) will run between Norway and UK with a goal to be operational by 2020 at the latest. 

The integration of the Norwegian, German and UK electricity markets, which at the moment are not connected directly, will ensure improved security of supply in the two countries, increase market efficiency and further integrate renewables.

In June 2012, UK Prime Minister David Cameron, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg agreed a partnership between the three countries to secure sustainable long term energy security through interconnectors connecting Norway to Germany and UK."

 http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-14-313_en.htm?locale=en

13/10/14

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Rare fish fries released into Yellow River to repair ecosystem

Photo: news.xinhuanet.com

Over 7 million rare fish fry have been released into the upper reaches of the Yellow River, China's second largest, since 2009 to help to repair its ecosystem, said local fishery authorities.

Qinghai Province in northwest China, where the Yellow River and Yangtze River originate, plans to release about 900,000 rare, captive-bred, native fish this year to replenish stocks, said Wang Guojie, deputy chief of the province's fishery environment supervision office.

The Ministry of Agriculture, in charge of fishery affairs, announced in 2007 that one third of the 150 fish species in the Yellow River were believed to be extinct due to human encroachment and low rainfall.

Over fishing, dumping and hydropower projects degraded the environment and led to a shrinking fish population. In Qinghai, 22 fish species are native and most of them are only found on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau.

"Fish grow much more slowly on the plateau than at low altitude, due to cold weather. Plateau fish, living at around 4,000 meters above the sea level, are extremely resistant to cold, but only add an average of half kilogram in weight every ten years," said Wang.

Once the stocks are damaged, it's hard to restore quickly, he said.

"Our survey shows a rise in fish stocks in some key areas over the past five years, meaning the released fry have adapted well," said the official.

Qinghai has plans to build more fish farms and expand the project's release area.

(To stay up to date with the latest China news, follow XHNews on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/XHNews and Xinhua News Agency on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/XinhuaNewsAgency.)
Sources: Xinhua  - globaltimes.cn
3/10/14
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Three Gorges Dam authority makes admission free for domestic tourists

Starting Thursday, Chinese tourists will be able to visit the Three Gorges Dam, the country's largest hydropower project, free of charge, announced the China Three Gorges Corporation and Yichang government in Hubei Province at a press conference Wednesday.

This scenic spot will be free to all Chinese tourists, including residents from Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, while foreign visitors still need to pay 105 yuan ($17) for a ticket.

The maximum daily number of tourists will be restricted to 40,000. The dam currently receives an average of 1.8 million tourists every year, reported the Xinhua News Agency.

Chinese visitors can either make a reservation online or use their ID cards for admission on the spot.

"This decision's aim is to let more Chinese people learn about the project and witness the great achievements China has made since the reform and opening-up," said Sha Xianhua, a deputy general manager of the China Three Gorges Corporation. 

Ticket prices for the dam have been controversial in recent years as they increased from 30 yuan to 105 yuan.

The corporation officially responded in a document delivered to the media in the press conference, saying that "since the construction of the dam was at a critical point in previous years, we were unable to fulfill tourists' demand in consideration of their safety. "

"This move will bring an end to years of disputes and can also stimulate the local tourism industry," Liu Simin, a tourism expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times.

However, Liu said it would not set a precedent for other popular scenic spots, since ticket revenue from such sites typically goes into local governments' pockets, and local authorities are disinclined to give up revenue sources in an age of squeezed budgets.

The designated scenic area around the dam, a 5A-Class tourism destination, has been a backbone of the local tourism industry since 2007, according to the dam corporation's official website. 
By Cao Siqi Source: Global Times 
25-26/9/14
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• Yangtze River sees highest flood peak of the year, Three Gorges Dam reservoir reaching 48,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday

• World ‘biggest hydroelectric dam’ for Congo

• Dam shame - Global Times

Yangtze River sees highest flood peak of the year, Three Gorges Dam reservoir reaching 48,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday

Video CCTV

The Yangtze River has seen its highest flood peak so far this year, with water flow into the Three Gorges Dam reservoir reaching 48,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday.

The Yangtze River Flood Control and Drought Relief Headquarters says water flow has increased rapidly since last Wednesday, due to continuous rainfall in the region.

 The Headquarters has ordered the reservoir’s water discharge to be raised to 35,000 cubic meters per second.

 Navigation restrictions have also been enforced in nearby waterways. 


The water flow into the reservoir is expected to drop to 42,000 cubic meters per second on Monday. But weather forecasts say heavy rain will hit the region upstream again in the next three days. Provinces including Sichuan, Guansu, Shaanxi, Hubei and Anhui will see rainstorms. 
22/7/13
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Photo taken on July 21, 2013 shows the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, central China's Hubei Province. The Yangtze River, China's longest, braced for its largest flood peak so far this year due to continuous rainfall upstream. Water flow into the reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam reached 49,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Lei Yong)

Photo taken on July 21, 2013 shows the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, central China's Hubei Province. The Yangtze River, China's longest, braced for its largest flood peak so far this year due to continuous rainfall upstream. Water flow into the reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam reached 49,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Lei Yong)

Photo taken on July 21, 2013 shows the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, central China's Hubei Province. The Yangtze River, China's longest, braced for its largest flood peak so far this year due to continuous rainfall upstream. Water flow into the reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam reached 49,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Lei Yong)

Photo taken on July 21, 2013 shows the Three Gorges Dam, a gigantic hydropower project on the Yangtze River, central China's Hubei Province. The Yangtze River, China's longest, braced for its largest flood peak so far this year due to continuous rainfall upstream. Water flow into the reservoir of the Three Gorges Dam reached 49,000 cubic meters per second on Sunday morning. (Xinhua/Lei Yong)